Vestibule side charger for cupolas



Sept 2l, 1954 J. F. DRAKE 2,689,659

VESTIBULE SIDE CHARGER F'OR CUPOLAS Filed Aug. 6, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet l MKM ATTORNEY Sept. 2l, 1954 Filed Aug. 6, 1951 J. F. DRAKE 2,689,659 VESTIBULE SIDE CHARGER FOR cUPoLAs 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. 4.

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`: 4| 17A iii-jiji? IBA lINVENTOR JOHN F. DRAKE ATTORNEY Patented sept. 21, 1954 VESTIBULE SIDE CHARGER FOR CUPOLAS John F. Drake, Los Angeles, Calif., assignor .of

one-half to Theodore G.

Calif.

Kennard, Glendora,

ApplicationAugustG, 1951, Serial No. 240,555

3 Claims.

This invention relates .to a `device for charging a shaft `type or cupola furnace .and `in particular to a gas sealed `side `charging Ydevice particularly `adapted for use on aclosed `top cupola. The principal object of the invention 'is to provide means for charging a cupola through a side opening without allowing the escape or dilution with air -Of combustion gases. vAnother object is to provide a side charging vestibule for a cupola which ,permits charging of bucket mixed charges, using standard mechanical elevating equipment. These and other objects are attained by my invention which willbe understood from the following description, reference being vmafie to the accom- `panying drawings in which:

AFigure `l is an elevational view partly in section showing a preferred form of my charger as mounted on a closed top cupola, only the upper portion of the cupola being shown;

Figure '2 is a horizontal sectional view of the Y same taken on "the line 2-2 of Fig. `1;

Figure 3` isa fragmentary sectional view `taken onthe line 3--3 of Fig. `1;

Figure 4 is `an elevational view partly in secntion `showing another form of my invention;

`Figure `5 -is a horizontal cross-sectional view taken on the line 5--5 `of -Figure 4;

Figure `6 is `a fragmentary cross-sectional view -on the line 6--6 of Fig. 4 showing the sealingarrangement on the charger boom; and

Fig. 7 is a -fragmentary cross-sectional view `taken on the line 1-1 of Fig. 4.

`Referring `to the drawings, the `upper portion of `a cupola furnace lII consists of `a `cylindrical -steel `shell `I2 which is lined with `fire brick I3. Acharging .opening I 4 is provided on one side-of the cupola near the top, and a rectangular vesti- Abule I5, `preferably also lined with brick extends outwardly toward the-charger arm I6 of the boom I1 `ofva mechanical charger such as an inclined skip hoist or `crane `hoist (not shown). The steel shell of `the vestibule I5 is attached to the steel shell I`21of the cupola and a vertically slidingdoor I8 of steel plate lined with fire-brick is provided at the outer opening of the vestibule I5, which doorlmay :be `raised in `the upright channels I9 by means ofthe chain 20, hoisting means of suitable type (not shown) being provided. An offset ZI corresponding to the vestibule I5 is provided in the side of the cupola opposite the vestibule I5,

being formed of steel plate with `brick lining, and i being closed `by a back wall 22. A pairof rails 23 are provided in the `vestibule 'I5 and extending across the cupola, being supported on the lower edge of the offset 2| and on the floor 24 of the vestibule.

A charging carr25 is provided which is adapted to ride by wheels 26 on the rails 23, the Car bottom being open so that the charging bucket 21, having a pivoted 'bottom 28, may discharge its contents into the cupola by the tilting of said bottom. The tilting of the bucket bottom on the pivot 29 may, for example, be brought about by the tilt rods 3Q extending `horizontally Vfrom the tilting levers 3I on the two sides of the bucket 21 against the back wall 22 when the charging car 25 is propelled into the cupola from the vestibule I5. The charging ear 25 is `provided with `a closing `wall 32 on its end adjacent the offset 2 I, which wall serves to close the cupola end of the Vvestibule l5 when `the charging bucket is empty and ready to be picked up by the fork 33 ofthe boom I1, which fork is adapted `to engage` the trunnions 34 on the bucket. The charging car 25, after discharging, is pushed back into the vestibule by the rack 35 which is attached Vto the closing `wall 25 and is actuated by the Ypinion 36 driven by the reversible motor means 31.

The manner of operating-my vestibule charger arrangement will be -clear from the above description. Assuming that a lCharge hasjust been unloaded from the bucket 21 on the car 25 (as shown yin Fig. 1'), the rack `and pinion mechanism or its equivalent pushes the car :25 into the vestibule I5, the closing,r Wall -32 on the car being pushed into the cupola charging opening I4 and sealing oiT -the`vestbule I5. The `vestibule door fI is then Vopened and the empty bucket 21 is picked `upon its trunnions by the fork 33 on the charger boom I1. After the bucket lhas been loaded and returned through the open door I8 and placed on -the -car 25, the `door IIB is closed `and the rack 35 is retracted by the pinion `36 until thelclosing lwall 32 is in the oiset 2 I. Meantime the tilt -rods 30 have abutted the back wall 22 and the bottom 28 of the bucket 21 has been tilted and the charge-discharged into the-cupola.

In the `alternative form shown in Figs. 4 to '7, the charging bucket is suspended from a telescoping boom arm instead of being placed on the `reciprocating car riding on rails spanning the cupola. In this form a vestibule I5A is provided near the top of fthe cupola, extending `from a :side charging .opening I4. The vestibule door ISA is hinged at the outer `edge ofthe floor 24 `of the vestibule, :and swings outwardly to `a hori` zontal position to open the vestibule. A notch 4B is provided at the upper edge of the {doortofgo around 4the boom I 1A. The boom IIA is provided with sealing nange 4I which closes the opening or notch 40 when the bucket is in the cupola.

'I'he boom 11A, at its free end, is provided with an inside telescoping member 11B, at the end of which is provided a. notched extension VIC, upon which the charging bucket 21A is suspended by the bale 42. The inside boom member ITB is provided with rollers 43, which are adapted to ride on L track member 44, which are suspended from the ceiling '45 of the vestibule I5A. The

tracks are preferably flared apart at the entrance end of the vestibule to serve as a guide for the boom, as it enters the vestibule, carrying the charging bucket 21A.

The bucket 21A is provided with a tilting bottom 28A mounted on the pivot 29A, and tilting levers 3IA are provided at the end of the pivot 29A so that the angular movement of the levers tilts the bottom of the bucket attached to the pivot. Tilt rods 30A are attached at the free ends of the levers 31A and extend forwardly to abut the backwall 22A and, thereby, open the bottom of the bucket for discharge of the charging material for the cupola.

The vestibule IBA is separated from the cupola proper by a vertically sliding door 32A which operates in the slot 48 in the ceiling 45 of the vestibule, side slots 46 being also provided in the vestibule walls to guide and seal the door. This sliding door 32A is actuated by means of a chain 39, which is mechanically operated by means not Y shown.

The operation of the alternative form of my charging device which is shown in Figs. 4 to 7, will be apparent from the description. When it is desired to introduce a bucket containing the charge for the cupola, the boom I1 holding the bale 42 of the bucket 21A on the extension HC of the boom is advanced into the vestibule IA after the vestibule door |8A has been swung down to the horizontal position as shown in broken lines on Fig. 4. The vestibule door ISA is then closed, the notch 4U permitting the complete closing of the door around the boom and the sealing flange covering the opening of the notch around the boom. The closing door 32A, which has been in the closed position is then raised by means of the chain 39, the door operating in the slot 48 in the top or ceiling of the vestibule '45. The inside telescoping member I'lB of the boom I1 is then advanced with rollers 43, riding on the track members 44 until the charging bucket 21A is in the cupola in the position shown in Fig. 4, the bottom of the bucket having been tilted to the open position by the tilting rods 30A, actuating the levers I3A. The charging bucket is then withdrawn by the boom into the vestibule, the closing door 32A islowered into the position to seal off the cupola from the vestibule, the vestibule door |8A is opened, and the boom with the empty bucket is withdrawn.

My charging device is particularly adapted for use on a closed top cupola having an o-take for the discharge of gases, which off-take would generally be located above the position of the charger on the cupola. The advantages of my vestibule charging arrangement for cupolas, particularly gray iron cupolas, is that existing cupolas may be readily changed by the addition of the vestibule, and further it is possible to use existing mechanical charging equipment such as hoists and cranes.

, I claim:

1. In combination with a cupola furnace hav- 4 ing a charging opening in the upper part thereof; a vestibule charger comprising a vestibule chamber having opposite end openings, the inner end opening coinciding with said charging opening, said chamber extending laterally from the said charging opening; a door at the outer end opening of said chamber; a charger car adapted to be moved alternately from said chamber to a position in said cupola furnace above the charge in said furnace, and tracks for said charger car in said chamber and extending across said cupola; said charger car being also provided on its inner edge with a closing wall adapted to close the cupola furnace charging opening when said charger car is in said vestibule chamber.

2. In combination with a cupola furnace having a charging opening in the upper part thereof; a vestibule charger comprising a vestibule chamber having opposite end openings, the inner end opening coinciding with said charging opening, said chamber extending laterally from the said charging opening, and said chamber being adapted to receive a charging bucket; a door at the outer end opening of said chamber; Va charger car adapted to be moved alternately from said chamber to a position in said cupola furnace above the bed in said furnace, said car iioor having openings therethrough for discharge of materials on said car; tracks for said charger car in said chamber and extending across said cupola; a trip bottom bucket adapted to be carried on said car; and means for tripping the bottom of said bucket when said car reaches a position midway in said cupola; said charger car being also provided on its inner edge with a closing wall adapted to close the cupola furnace charging opening when said charger car is in said vestibule chamber.

3. In combination with a cupola furnace having a charging opening in the upper part thereof; a vestibule charger comprising a vestibule chamber having opposite end openings, the inner end opening coinciding with said charging opening, said chamber extending laterally from the said charging opening, and said chamber being adapted to receive a charging bucket; a door at the outer end opening of said chamber; a charger car'adapted to be moved alternately from said chamber to a position in said cupola furnace above the bed in said furnace, said car floor having opening therethrough for discharge of charging materials on said car; tracks for said charger car in said chamber and extending across said cupola; a trip bottom bucket adapted to be carried on said car; means for reciprocating said charger car between said chamber and said cupola furnace; and means for tripping the bottom of said bucket when said car reaches a position midway in said cupola; said charger car being also provided on its inner edge with a closing wall adapted to close the cupola furnace charging opening when said charger car is in said vestibule chamber.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 6,479 Glue June 8, 1875 1,326,949 Meehan Jan. 6, 1920 1,514,079 Gehnrich Nov. 4, 1924 1,563,949 Baker Dec. 1, 1925 

